


Lonely Hearts

by psychoticmidds



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Bisexual Rick Grimes, Cheating Lori, Dark, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Daryl Dixon/Rick Grimes, Eventual Fluff, Going through divorce, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Neighbors, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, Physical Abuse, Shane Being an Asshole, Slow Burn, Triggers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-07 22:07:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6826681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychoticmidds/pseuds/psychoticmidds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rick finally learns that Lori has been cheating on him with his partner and best friend, Shane. He files for divorce and moves out of the house of his own accord. Moving into the trailer park, he becomes neighbors with the Dixon's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Suspicion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Normgasm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Normgasm/gifts).



> ▪ I do not own The Walking Dead, or any of the characters.
> 
> ▪ The only canon things about this story is Lori cheating on Rick with Shane, and she eventually gets pregnant with Judith. The other, is that Will Dixon is an abusive alcoholic.
> 
> ▪ I have no beta reader.
> 
> ▪ Feedback is welcome and accepted. 
> 
> ▪ I will admit, sometimes I am slow to update. Other times, I might go on a posting frenzy. It depends.

"So, what are up to tonight?" Rick Grimes asked his partner and best friend Shane Walsh; closing the silver locker door dressed in his civilian clothes after a long day of patrol. 

"Told ya, man. I gotta date." Shane ran a comb through his curly dark brown hair, looking at Rick in the reflection of the mirror on the inside of his own locker. 

"I thought that was last night." Rick admitted with a shrug of his shoulder. "Same girl?" He asked after a moment of silence that fell between the two. Shane nodded his head, putting away the comb. "Wow, must be some girl."

"Yeah..." Shane agreed, avoiding eye contact with Rick, pulling his T-shirt on. "She is."

"When do I get to meet this mystery woman, who you won't even tell me the name of?" Shane had been acting strangle since he had met this new girl that he would talk about during the day. With out ever really mentioning her name. Shane cleared his throat, closing his locker door a little harder then he had intended too. 

"Eventually." Shane began to walk away from Rick, heading toward the exit of the locker room. Rick watched Shane go, cocking his head confused and went after his best friend, catching up to him within the precinct.

"Eventually?" Shane sighed heavily, throwing an aggravated look at Rick.

"Yeah, eventually." Rick held up his hands in surrender at Shane, realizing he had crossed some line.

"Okay, don't need to yell at me." Shane shook his head, running his hand through his hair. "You use to tell me everything." Rick pointed out, feeling a little hurt that his best friend was shutting him out. 

"You sound like a girl, man." Shane snapped at Rick, keeping his voice low so that the other officers didn't get involved with their conversation. Finally, Rick dropped the subject, walking out if the precinct and headed to his car. "Was there a reason you asked about my plans for the night?" Shane asked more calmly, remembering he needed to act cool, or Rick would notice something was up. 

"Lori's got this book club _thang_ , and Carl's staying the night at a friends." Rick explained, unlocking the door to his car; looking over the roof at Shane.

"You got the house to yourself tonight?" Rick nodded his head at Shane's question. Shane chuckled lightly, turning his head away for a moment and looked back at Rick. "You lucky, bastard." Shane opened the door of his car, sliding into the driver's seat, shouting out to Rick. "If I didn't have a date, I would come over." 

"Don't worry about it." Rick slid into his own car, closing the door and buckled himself up. Shane honked as he pulled out of the parking lot ahead of Rick, and Rick honked back in response before turning the engine over. Pulling out of the parking lot, Rick headed home, as he drove through the town, he mentally noted anyone whom he saw breaking the law. He was off duty, out of uniform, and technically, there was nothing he could do. 

Turning off the engine when he parked in the driveway, Rick removed his seat belt and opened the door. As Rick got out of the car, Lori came out if the house, running toward him. He was expecting his wife was going to give him a hug and a kiss, but instead she held her hand our to him.

"I'm running late, give me the keys." Rick looked at Lori stunned momentarily, before dropping the keys in her hand. Looking her over, Rick noticed that the dark blue dress and her expensive jewelry was on, she even had her hair done. 

"Thought you were going to your book club." Rick pointed out, finding it strange she was dressed up so nicely for a book club.  

"I am!" Lori replied too quickly, sounding almost in a panic. "We thought it would be fun to go out somewhere nice tonight." She finished more calmly, after collecting herself. Rick didn't like the feeling of doubt that he got hearing Lori's explanation. He wanted to trust his wife, Lori had never lied to him before; at least not that Rick knew of. 

"Really? Maybe I could come with you?" Rick asked her, not exactly testing what her response was. He generally thought it might have been nice for them to do something together, especially with Carl out of the house. 

"Oh, hun. That's sweet, but you have no idea what book we are reading. We would just bore you with the things we talk about. Enjoy having the house to yourself, you deserve it." Lori kissed Rick’s cheek, getting in the car she closed the door and buckled in. The engine turned over and Rick watched his wife back out if the drive way and drive away from the house.

 _'Well, it was worth a shot'_. Rick turned to the house, walking to it and through the door, closing it behind him. Greeted by the silence that fell in all around him eerily. Hungry, Rick went to the kitchen, finding the food Lori had left him in the microwave, still warm. Taking the plate out, Rick went to the fridge grabbing himself a beer. 

After closing both the fridge and microwave doors, Rick went to the living room, sitting down in his recliner and grabbed the remote. Turning on the TV, Rick flicked through the channels until he found something that caught his interest. Putting the remote down beside him, Rick was about to take a bite from his food when the phone rang.

"Shit." Rick swore under his breath, getting up and sitting the plate down on the coffee table in front of him. Picking up the wireless phone from the cradle, he pressed the button and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Rick. It's Andrea, from Lori's book club." The woman's voice greeted from the other end of the line. Rick's brow furrowed wondering why Andrea could have been calling, if she was meant to meet with the other members of the book club.

"Uh, yeah. Hi, Andrea." Rick stumbled, gathering himself together. "Lori just left to meet up with you guys at the restaurant."

"What restaurant? Book club doesn't meet until tomorrow at my place." Rick nearly dropped the phone when Andrea replied.

"Oh...um...What can I do for you Andrea?" Rick's mind was racing now, wondering who Lori was really meeting up with.

"Just have Lori call me back when she gets home." Andrea said and hung up the phone. Rick hung up his end of the line, setting the phone back in the cradle. His appetite gone, and his thoughts racing trying to make sense of what was happening. Getting suspicious about the whereabouts of his wife.


	2. Confrontation

Rick sits in his recliner, beer in hand as some old western Clint Eastwood flick plays on the TV. His plate now sits empty in the sink, and two other empty bottle of beer sit on the coffee table in front of him. Hearing the car pull into the driveway, Rick sat up in his recliner, placing the bottle on the table and waited for Lori to come inside.

"You're still awake?” Lori asks, closing the door when she enters the house. Rick nods his head, piercing his lips together.

"Yeah, I'm still awake.” Rick snaps at Lori, standing up from the recliner to face her. "Andrea called, there was no book club meeting tonight.” Growling, Rick corners Lori against the door furiously. “Who were you with Lori?” Her eyes bugged wide with fear, as she begins stammering over her words trying to make up something quickly. "Don't lie to me.” Rick demands, knowing how to read Lori's tells.

"Fine, you want the truth?” Lori asks, knowing that she was caught. This was going to happen sooner or later, Rick wasn't stupid.

“That would be nice.” Rick snaps bluntly, placing his hands on his hips, waiting for Lori to finally get her secret out into the open.

"I can't do this anymore, Rick.” Lori chokes, bringing up those fake crocodile tears of hers. Rick shakes his head with a chuckle looking away, but says nothing. "All we do is fight anymore.” Lori explains, moving to keep eye contact with Rick.

”So, instead of trying talking to me and trying to work this out. You what? Go behind my back and cheat on me?” Rick directs a dark look at his wife.

"It wasn't like that.” Lori tries to put her hand on Rick's arm but he steps away from her touch.

"Oh yeah? Tell me what it was like.” Rick snaps in a demanding tone.

”Shane thought it…”

“Shane?” Rick interrupted out of shock hearing his best friend's name come out of Lori's mouth. "You're cheating on me with Shane?!” Rick shouts furiously, wanting to punch something.

"Rick…” Lori was going to say something else, but Rick wasn't going to hear anymore of this.

“I hope the two of you will be happy together.” Rick hisses venomously, before walking passed Lori and opened the door.

"You're leaving? What am I supposed to tell Carl?” Lori panics and Rick looks over her shoulder at Lori coldly.

"Tell Carl his Mom is a cheating slut. I don't care.” Rick takes the moment to pull his ring from his finger, and let it drop to the ground carelessly. ”You'll be hearing from my lawyer.” Rick steps outside, slamming the door behind him. He had half a mind to take the car, but he has been drinking and was surely over the intoxicated limit. Just because he was pissed, didn't mean that gave him an excuse to get in a car and put others lives in dangers.

So, Rick walked, ignoring Lori shouting at him, telling him to come back. Come back? To what? A wife that didn't love him? The lie of a happy family? No, screw that. Lori had made her bed, it was time for her to lay in it. Rick didn't really know where he was going, he just kept walking trying to blow off some steam. From around the corner two men came walking around, Rick tried to avoid them but winded up bumping shoulders with one of them.

"Well, _excuse me_.” The one he hit sneered sarcastically, stopping to confront Rick.

"Merle..”The other spoke up, trying to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.

"No, this prick thinks he owns the street and just ram into whoever the fuck he wants? I don’ think so. I outta teach you a lesson.” The one name Merle threatened balling up hid fist.

"It was an accident.” Rick pointed out, trying to remain calm, though at the moment he wasn't sure how well he was going to hold up.

"An accident, huh? Ya hear that baby brother? It was a fucking accident!” The one named Merle exclaimed smiling in a way that made Rick uneasy. "You should be more careful then, before ya get you're ass kicked.” Merle threatens darkly, closing in on Rick.

”Yeah? Well, I could place you under arrest for threatening a police officer.” The other groaned, but Merle smirk only grew wider.

"Thought I smelled bacon!” A car Rick recognizes pulls up along side of them and the window rolls down. Shane leans over the passager seat.

"Everything alright here, Rick?” Rick directs a glare at his best friend, feeling sick to his stomach just looking at him.

"Fine. I giot everything under control. Go away, Shane.” Shane looks away, sighing and turns his head back around looking at Rick expecting him to act this way.

"Come on man, get in. We should talk.” Shane suggests, opening the door for Rick to climb in.

“I have nothing to say to you.” Rick snaps back, momentarily forgetting about the other two men standing there.

“I'm sorry, are we interrupting your lovers dispute?” Merle muses and both Shane and Rick throw him a dirty look.

"Best you keep your smartass mouth shut, and keep walking.” Shane threatens, which only eggs Merle on more.

"What you gonna do, pretty boy?” Merle challenges and Daryl grabs his older brother by the shoulder, trying to pull him away.

"Come on, just drop it. They ain't worth it.” Merle shoves Daryl away from him, not letting his baby brother stand in his way.

“Look, I'm sorry I ran into you.” Rick stated, adressing the one named Merle and walked away from the situation. Distancing himself from Shane.

"Rick, wait! Come back!” Shane calls after his best friend and leans over and slams the door. "Shit.” Pulling from the side of the road, Shane drives after Rick, trying to get him to talk to him.

"Come on, Merle old man's gonna be pissed if we don't get back soon with his beer.” Daryl urges his brother, hoping that Merle doesn't decide to go after the man named Rick. Last thing they needed was Merle landing himself in jail again.

"Fuck him.” Merle snaps growling, beginning to walk, thankfully in the way back to the trailer park.


End file.
